Chennai: MDMK General Secretary Vaiko said the Sri Lankan government is behind his detention at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Friday.

Vaiko, who has raised the Sri Lankan Tamils issue at the European Parliament in Brussels, felt that Sri Lankan government does not want issues relating to killing of innocent Tamils during its war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to be raised in international forums.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Vaiko said he was shocked when immigration officials at Kuala Lumpur airport stopped him from entering Malaysia. He informed the officials that he was invited for the wedding reception of Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy’s daughter on Saturday. To back his claim, he produced the wedding invitation, a letter written by Ramasamy personally inviting Vaiko for his daughter’s wedding, and other documents relating to his previous visits to Penang in 2014 and 2015.

The officials asked him whether he is a Tamil from Sri Lanka. He replied, ‘No I’m a Tamilian from India.’ He also said he was Member of Parliament and produced the ID.

The officials told him since he has several cases against him they cannot allow him to enter Malaysia. Ramasamy’s efforts to help him also failed, Vaiko said.

The officials cannot be faulted for they were helpless since they had orders from above, Vaiko said.

But the common courtesy was lacking. Since he was treated like a detainee he decided to forego food. He and his secretary went without food for 24 hours, he said.

Vaiko said but for Brussels, he was denied visas to Germany, Switzerland, England, Canada and America. So far he hadn’t brought this to the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but he will do so now.